By Leah J. Teichholtz and Meimei Xu

The Class of 2024 saw a tumultuous last year of college as Harvard affiliates, student groups, and top administrators made headlines across the country.

Harvard’s first Black president, Claudine Gay, took office at a politically contentious time for higher education. Earlier that summer, the U.S. Supreme Court’s momentous ruling effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions.

Then, just a week after Gay’s inauguration, the College’s pro-Palestine activists sparked national criticism for issuing a statement blaming Israel for Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks and all subsequent violence. Affiliates, donors, and alumni turned their outrage toward Harvard, condemning the administration’s response to the attack and antisemitism on campus. The backlash against Harvard came to a head when Gay testified before Congress on efforts by the school to address anti-semitism. In addition to the controversy over the Israel-Hamas war, Gay faced a series of allegations of plagiarism concerning her academic work.

In early January, Gay resigned from her post after just 185 days in office, marking the shortest presidential tenure in Harvard’s history.

Administration

Favorability for Garber was higher than for Gay, at 49 percent versus 35 percent, respectively. Around 17 percent of respondents were unfavorable toward Garber and 34 percent said they had no opinion or lacked information necessary to respond.

This was in stark contrast to Gay, about whom 42 percent of respondents were unfavorable and 23 percent did not specify an opinion. The plurality of respondents, or 41 percent, viewed Gay’s choice to resign as University president in January positively, while a third viewed the decision unfavorably.

Around a quarter of respondents viewed the Harvard Corporation — the University’s top governing board — favorably, but 45 percent said they were unfavorable toward the body. The Corporation’s opacity has come under heightened scrutiny in recent months amid Harvard’s leadership crisis.

Around 52 percent of surveyed seniors viewed Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana favorably, marking a slight uptick from 50 percent favorability expressed in last year’s survey of the Class of 2023. A quarter of respondents viewed Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra in a favorable light. Seventy percent of respondents indicated that they lacked information or did not have an opinion on Hoekstra, who started in her role last August.

Harvard College Dean of Students Thomas Dunne, who came to Harvard from Princeton last year, had a favorability of only around 19 percent, with 23 percent reporting an unfavorable opinion. As with Hoekstra, large portions of the class did not have an opinion or lacked information on the newly hired administrator.

Student Government

The University’s administration wasn’t the only body to see a major leadership shakeup during the Class of 2024’s time at Harvard. The College’s newly formed student government, the Harvard Undergraduate Association, saw its former Co-President John S. Cooke ’25 ousted in a symbolic April recall vote. Less than 5 percent of respondents said they viewed Cooke favorably, and 64 percent viewed him unfavorably. Seventeen percent of respondents reported favorable views of former Co-President Shikoh Misu Hirabayashi ’24, who faced an unsuccessful recall effort, while 30 percent viewed him unfavorably.

Most respondents did not have strong views on current HUA Co-Presidents Ashley C. Adirika ’26 and Jonathan Haileselassie ’26, who were elected to their roles in April. For both Adirika and Haileselassie, more than three-fourths of respondents did not have an opinion or enough information to offer one.

During the Class of 2024’s sophomore spring, students voted overwhelmingly to dismantle the HUA’s predecessor, the Undergraduate Council. But graduating seniors have expressed high levels of dissatisfaction with the HUA in its rocky first years as the new undergraduate student government. Just 8 percent of responding seniors viewed the HUA in a favorable light, compared to 59 percent who are unfavorable toward the body. Last year, only 7 percent of respondents from the Class of 2023 viewed the HUA favorably.

Pro-Palestine Activism

Last fall, Harvard and its pro-Palestine activists were thrust into the national spotlight after the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee released a widely criticized statement that held Israel “entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” immediately following the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.

The PSC was suspended for the spring by Harvard in April for violating campus protest rules, a disciplinary measure that 46 percent of respondents agreed with. The vast majority of students who identified as conservative or very conservative were supportive of the suspension while the opposite was true for students identifying as progressive or very progressive.

The protests reached a fever pitch when activists occupied Harvard Yard with an encampment for 20 days in April and May. In the aggregate, 52 percent of surveyed students were unfavorable toward the encampment and 34 percent viewed the high-profile protest favorably.

Favorability for the encampment shifted markedly following a May 6 email from Garber that suggested it could interfere with Commencement proceedings: 53 percent of respondents who answered the survey in the week before the email supported the encampment, but just 18 percent in the subsequent week said the same.

Supporters and opponents of the encampment differed sharply in their views of Harvard’s last two presidents. Eighty-four percent of those who viewed the encampment unfavorably were also favorable toward Garber, while only 10 percent of students who supported the encampment reported a positive view of him. The reverse was true for Gay, who was viewed favorably by just 19 percent of respondents who disfavored the encampment and 52 percent of those who favored it.

Students were divided on their views of Harvard’s approach to the protests. Thirty-one percent of respondents indicated that the University has been too permissive in its handling of pro-Palestine campus protests, while 27 percent were satisfied with the administration’s approach. Another 27 percent of students viewed Harvard’s decisions as overly restrictive.

Respondents were also split on whether Harvard should divest its endowment from institutions that support “Israel’s occupation of Palestine,” per a proposed HUA referendum that was postponed indefinitely in April. Nearly 48 percent of respondents disagreed that Harvard should divest, while 34 percent said they believed the University should.

Police

The presence of police on college campuses has received renewed attention across the country as city, state, and campus police continue to arrest and clash with pro-Palestine activists participating in encampments. Last month, New York City police arrested dozens of protesters occupying Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, and many universities have seen similar arrests since. Nevertheless, no Harvard protesters participating in encampments this semester have been arrested.

Most respondents — 52 percent — indicated that they trust the Harvard University Police Department, with 17 percent saying they trust HUPD fully and 35 percent saying they trust it somewhat. Around 14 percent said they distrust the department somewhat, and 10 percent said they distrust it fully.

Approximately 74 percent of surveyed Harvard seniors said they do not believe HUPD should be abolished, while 6 percent said they support abolition.

Seniors reported lower trust toward the Cambridge Police Department: 41 percent of respondents from the Class of 2024 said they trust CPD, while 26 percent said they distrust CPD. The department garnered major backlash in the Class of 2024’s junior spring after CPD Officer Liam McMahon fatally shot Sayed Faisal, a University of Massachusetts Boston student.

Admissions

Harvard’s admissions processes also faced increased scrutiny after the Supreme Court struck down the use of race-conscious affirmative action in higher education admissions last June. A slight majority, or 51 percent of respondents, viewed race-based affirmative action favorably. This marked a step down from last year’s surveyed graduates, who had reported 63 percent favorability.

Asian respondents were the least likely group to support race-conscious affirmative action, while Latinx and Black respondents were on average more supportive of the practice. A notably larger percentage of respondents — more than 76 percent — were in favor of class-based affirmative action in college admissions.

The admissions lawsuit against Harvard also raised questions about the College’s use of legacy preferences in its admissions processes. Overall, 57 percent of respondents held unfavorable views toward legacy admissions and 23 percent described their views as favorable. Students who had at least one parent attend the College were generally more supportive of legacy admissions, at 41 percent.

Favorability of legacy admissions increased to 38 percent for respondents who reported a combined parental income of greater than $500,000, while 26 percent of those in the lowest income bracket of under $40,000 supported the practice. First-generation students were more critical of legacy preferences, with 65 percent of these respondents voicing unfavorable views compared to 54 percent of those who do not identify as first-generation.

Mental Health

The majority of surveyed seniors said they have experienced depression at some point during their time at the College, while 19 percent said they were unsure and 30 percent said they have not. While 42 percent of last year’s graduates had reported seeking help from Harvard University Health Services’ Counseling and Mental Health Service for mental health, 35 percent of respondents this year said they had.

Sixteen percent of respondents said they sought mental health care from the new TimelyCare telehealth service offered through HUHS, compared to 13 percent of the Class of 2023. In similar numbers to last year, 10 percent of surveyed graduates sought mental health support from one of the litany of student-run peer counseling groups offered on campus. Thirty-one percent consulted off-campus professionals for help.

Around 31 percent of responding seniors were satisfied or very satisfied with the care they received from CAMHS, a slight decrease from last year’s 34 percent satisfaction. Meanwhile, 44 percent of respondents were at least somewhat satisfied with the care received from TimelyCare and on-campus peer counseling groups. Nearly 75 percent of those who said they received support from an off-campus professional reported satisfaction.

Campus Organizations

The Harvard Crimson’s favorability rating — 48 percent — dropped 11 percent from last year’s senior survey. Around 31 percent of Class of 2024 respondents rated the publication unfavorably, a 17 percent increase from last year.

Around 22 percent of respondents said they approve of the Harvard Lampoon, a semi-secret Sorrento Square social organization that used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine, a 4 percent increase from last year. Half of students said they disapprove of the organization.

Approximately 24 percent of the Class of 2024 view the Harvard Independent favorably, while 19 percent view it unfavorably. A majority of surveyed students had no opinion of the Independent at all or lacked information to form one, at roughly 59 percent. Just 9 percent of respondents reported a favorable opinion of the Harvard Salient, a conservative campus publication, while 65 percent had unfavorable views.

Harvard seniors were split over the Institute of Politics, with 24 percent of respondents approving and 32 percent disapproving of the organization. The Harvard College Republican Club received a favorability rating of 11 percent and a disapproval rating of 30 percent, while the Harvard College Democrats received 20 percent approval and 15 percent disapproval.

Around 30 percent of respondents approve of Harvard Student Agencies and 21 percent disapprove. The Phillips Brooks House Association had 60 percent favorability and 3 percent unfavorability.

Students were also divided over final clubs, fraternities, and sororities. Around 29 percent expressed approval for these organizations, while 37 percent expressed disapproval.

Sexual Assault and Harassment

In the wake of several major sexual harassment controversies involving Harvard faculty members, the Class of 2024 witnessed a major campus push against harassment and gender inequity on campus and toward greater transparency of Title IX policies.

In May 2022, Gay released a procedure for requesting name changes from buildings, spaces, programs, and professorships. 

After The Crimson published an investigation detailing allegations of sexual harassment against three Anthropology professors, Harvard placed professor John L. Comaroff on unpaid leave in early 2022. In February of that year, three Anthropology graduate students filed a federal lawsuit against Harvard alleging the school ignored years of allegations against Comaroff — who denies all wrongdoing — and the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint detailing further instances of harassment in June 2022.

The school allowed Comaroff to return to campus in fall 2022 to teach non-required courses, inciting multiple protests.

The Department of Education recently announced updates to its Title IX regulations, adding a definition of “hostile environment harassment” to its definition of sex-based harassment. The changes will take effect Aug. 1, and revisions to Harvard’s own Title IX policies are in progress.

Approximately 35 percent of surveyed students from the Class of 2024 view Harvard’s current Title IX policies favorably, and 19 percent view them unfavorably. Among respondents, 9 percent said they are very satisfied with Harvard’s efforts to prevent sexual harassment and assault, 15 percent said they are somewhat satisfied, 24 percent said they are somewhat dissatisfied, and 20 percent said they are very dissatisfied.

Around 19 percent of respondents said they have been sexually assaulted or harassed at Harvard, while 81 percent have not. Among those who have experienced assault or harassment, 20 percent said they reported the incident while 80 percent did not. Most, or 55 percent, of those who chose to report did so to the Office for Gender Equity, while 45 percent reported to Harvard administrators. Around 14 percent reported to the Harvard University Police Department.

Legacy of Slavery and Denaming

In 2022, Harvard published its landmark Legacy of Slavery report on the University’s historical and financial ties to slavery, as well as seven recommendations for reparative efforts. The University has since specifically pledged $6 million toward digitizing and preserving African American historical collections at HBCUs. Harvard has also set aside funding for projects related to addressing systemic inequities faced by descendants of slavery and donated $500,000 to the Royall House and Slave Quarters.

Around 19 percent of respondents have favorable views of Harvard’s handling of its historical ties to slavery, and 26 percent have unfavorable views.

Students and affiliates have also pushed for the denaming of places on campus like Winthrop House, Mather House, and Wadsworth House, which carry the names of slave owners. Around 27 percent of respondents said they support the renaming of buildings named after slave owners, while 32 said they do not support it. This year’s survey results represent a marked decrease in support for renaming from last year, when 43 percent of surveyed seniors answered in favor.